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The Statehouse building

Ohio Budget Director Expects $3 Billion Surplus Over The Next Two Years

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — The state budget process began during the pandemic, when schools and businesses were closed, unemployment numbers were at double digits, and terrifying predictions of death tolls were circulating. A year later, the state and Ohioans are flush with federal COVID relief money, so the budget picture has changed a… Read More

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Rep. Larry Householder (R-Glenford) speaks to reporters before session on September 1. It was the first time he was back in the House since being stripped of his speakership in July.

Larry Householder Becomes First Ohio Rep Expelled Since 1857

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — In a historic vote, the Ohio House has removed a former Speaker who was re-elected to his seat last fall, after he was arrested in what’s considered the largest bribery case ever in Ohio government. The House voted 75-21 to expel Rep. Larry Householder (R-Glenford), just a few days after… Read More

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Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost at a press conference announcing the settlement with Centene.

Ohio AG Settles With Pharmacy Benefits Manager For $88.3 Million

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — Ohio has settled a lawsuit filed just three months ago with a pharmacy benefits manager it accused of using subcontractors to overcharge Ohio’s Medicaid program. Attorney General Dave Yost said Centene initiated the talks that led to the $88.3 million settlement. “We didn’t seek out a settlement. Centene initiated the… Read More

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Sen. Steve Huffman (R-Tipp City)

Senate President: Census Data Ruling May Not Help Ohio With Map-Drawing Deadline

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — A federal appeals court has sided with Ohio’s attorney general in his lawsuit to get US Census data earlier than expected to draw maps for Ohio’s Congressional and state House and Senate districts. But the leader of the Ohio Senate says at this point, he’s not sure it will make… Read More

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The Justice Center in Cleveland, the complex which houses the Cuyahoga County jail.

Another Effort To Reform Ohio’s Cash Bail System Launched

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — A bipartisan group of lawmakers launched another effort to overhaul the state’s bail system, which has been talked about for years and is backed by conservative and liberal groups. The newly introduced Senate bill doesn’t eliminate cash bail, but caps it at 25% of a person’s monthly net income. Sponsoring Sen. Rob McColley… Read More

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A row of desks in a classroom with a backpack hanging up on the back wall

Ohio’s School Funding Overhaul Could Be More Expensive Than Estimated

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — The school funding formula that’s in the latest version of the two-year state budget now being considered by the Ohio Senate will likely cost more than expected. The formula passed by the House last month seeks to calculate state aid based on 60% property values and 40% income in… Read More

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The Ohio Statehouse in Spring

Sales Taxes Up, Overall Ohio Revenues Are Down – But That Could Flip Next Month

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — Ohio’s sales tax revenues were up for the last month, but income tax collections were way down. The state’s Office of Budget and Management says overall, revenues were nearly 13% off forecasts. Sales taxes were up by nearly 23% – and with car sales going briskly, auto sales taxes were up… Read More

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The Mercer County Library, in a tweet promoting the library's resources for those who need internet access to fill out their US Census forms.

Ohio Libraries Say They Can’t Afford Cut In Two-Year State Budget

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — Ohio’s libraries say they’ll lose money if the $74.7 billion state budget stays as is. And they told a Senate committee looking into the budget that they also won’t share in the billions that the state and local governments will get from the American Rescue Plan. While libraries were closed… Read More

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Activists gather at the Ohio Statehouse to announce they’ve filed petitions for a ballot issue to qualified immunity for law enforcement and other public workers. The records on the ground bear the names of people killed in shootings by police officers.

Group Wants Voters To End Qualified Immunity In Ohio

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — A group has taken the first step to asking voters next year to eliminate qualified immunity for police officers and other government employees accused in shootings or other actions. The group calling itself Accountability Ohio Now filed paperwork Monday, and then gathered to promote the issue in front of the… Read More

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A 2020 Census Form

Ohio Loses One Of 16 Congressional Seats In New Census Count

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — Ohio will lose a seat in the US House of Representatives starting with next year’s election, bringing its total to 15 – its smallest Congressional delegation since 1833. And it’s unclear who among the 12 Republicans and four Democrats stands to lose their district when the lines are redrawn for… Read More

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A family with a child stacks their hands on top of each other

Democrats Oppose Republicans’ Change In Language On Adoption Back To “Husband And Wife”

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — One of the changes made by Ohio House leaders to the budget of their fellow Republican Gov. Mike DeWine deals with language for people who want to become parents through adoption. DeWine’s budget had changed a reference in state law on who may adopt a child from “husband and wife”… Read More

Culture

The Ohio Theatre, one of several operated by CAPA, was shuttered in March 2020, along with performance spaces and venues throughout Ohio and the US.

Ohio Arts Groups Anxiously Awaiting Relaunch Of COVID Aid Portal

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — Arts organizations in Ohio and around the country are waiting for the relaunch of a system that will allow them to apply for billions in COVID relief – after it shut down on the day it was supposed to open for business in early April. Thousands of workers in… Read More

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Ohio State Supreme Court building

Ohio Supreme Court Orders Non-Cash Bail As First Option For Courts

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — A big change coming to Ohio’s court system starting July 1, as the state takes a step closer to getting rid of cash bail for people being held in jail. New rules issued by the Ohio Supreme Court say Ohio’s 28 counties with both multiple municipal courts and county courts… Read More

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A 2020 Census Form

Federal Judge Dismisses Ohio’s Lawsuit To Force Release Of Census Data

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — A federal judge has dismissed Republican Attorney General Dave Yost’s lawsuit against the Biden administration to force the results of last year’s Census to be released by the end of this month. Ohio hoped to start drawing new legislative and Congressional maps soon, for the first time under a process… Read More

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Rep. Scott Wiggam (R-Wayne County) addresses a House committee

DeWine Vetoes “Unconstitutional” Bill On Health Orders, But Lawmaker Says He’s Wrong

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — Gov. Mike DeWine has vetoed a bill that would give state lawmakers the power to overturn his health and emergency orders. DeWine’s fellow Republicans in the legislature who support it are standing firm, so it’s almost certainly headed to a veto override and a court fight. In his veto statement, DeWine… Read More

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Former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio David DeVillers points at a chart at the press conference announcing the arrest of then-Speaker Larry Householder (R-Glenford) and others in a $60 million bribery case.

Former US Attorney Speaks Out On Ohio Corruption Cases, BGSU Hazing Probe

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — The chief prosecutor in the cases involving Republican former House Speaker Larry Householder and suspended Democratic Cincinnati City Councilmember PG Sittenfeld is speaking out about the work he did, after stepping down at the request of President Biden last month. Former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Ohio… Read More

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Kids walk to class in the hallway of Worthington Kilbourne High School. All students will be back in the district's schools for in-person learning starting March 22.

Ohio Lawmakers Approve Bill To Change Federal Test Requirements

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — A bill to change the way Ohio does federally mandated standardized K-12 tests this year is on its way to Gov. Mike DeWine. The bill also has a change to make sure it isn’t a moot point at the end of the school year. The bill waives federal requirements on tests,… Read More

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The "Ohio Find It Here" sign welcomes people on the William S. Ritchie Jr. Bridge, also known as the Ravenswood Bridge, on the border with West Virginia.

Local Ohio Leaders From Both Parties Welcome COVID Relief Money

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — $2.2 billion is coming to Ohio’s 88 counties from the new COVID relief package, and another $2.2 billion will go to 930 Ohio cities and villages. And local leaders of both parties say they need the money. Counties will get from $255,380,000 for Franklin County to $2,500,000 for Vinton County. Tim… Read More

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The Ohio Statehouse in December 2020

Big Money Coming To Ohio And Cities, Counties In Latest COVID Relief Package

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — Along with individual stimulus checks and more help for the unemployed, there’s a lot of money headed to Ohio and its cities and counties once the latest $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill is signed into law. There’s a total of $11.2 billion for Ohio in the bill called the American… Read More

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orange barrels on I-270

Transportation Budget Passes House Committee, Moves Toward Floor Vote

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — The $8 billion state transportation budget goes to the floor of the Ohio House tomorrow, after it was overwhelmingly approved by a House committee Wednesday. After just under a month since its introduction, House Finance Committee chair Rep. Scott Oelslager (R-North Canton) reported the vote count on the two year transportation budget:… Read More

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Ohio Department of Job and Family Services

More Unemployment Claims Flagged For Possible Fraud, Slowing Down Benefits

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — Filings for unemployment benefits had been slowly ticking up in January. But the last two weeks of reported numbers show an explosion of claims. And the state’s job and family services agency is now flagging tens of thousands of claims filed in those last two weeks. Around 50,000 jobless claims… Read More

News

Josh Mandel

Former Ohio Treasurer Mandel Is First Republican To Announce For Senate

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — Republicans have their first official candidate for the 2022 US Senate race.  Former state treasurer Josh Mandel is launching his third try at that office. Josh Mandel has been out of office since 2018, when he was term limited as state treasurer. But it’s not a big surprise that… Read More

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Rep. Larry Householder (R-Glenford) talked to reporters on September 1, 2020, after returning to the House for the first time since his July arrest in a $61 million bribery scheme.

Another Plea Deal In Householder/Nuclear Bailout Corruption Case

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — There’s another plea deal in the federal corruption case involving Republican former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder (R-Glenford), the former chair of the Ohio Republican Party and a utility widely believed to be FirstEnergy. That case has been called the largest bribery scandal in state history. The dark money… Read More

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Signs reading "We're all in this together" decorate the windows of a nursing home facility in northeast Columbus.

Proposed Budget Gives Ohio Department Of Health More Power To Shutter “Unsafe” Nursing Homes

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — More than half of the state’s COVID-19 deaths coming from nursing homes. So those and other long term care facilities are getting a lot of attention in the new state budget. The Patient Protection proposal in the budget would give the Ohio Department of Health the power to shut down nursing… Read More

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The Ohio Statehouse

Nearly 200 Show Support For Lawmakers’ Panel That Could Strike Down Health Orders

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — Nearly two hundred people offered testimony in an Ohio Senate committee in support of a Republican-backed bill that would allow a panel of lawmakers to reject a health order from the governor, and to limit states of emergency to 30 days. Rishanne Golden has blamed her 20-year-old daughter’s death in… Read More